This is my go-to for a great Vegetable Beef Stew. I once had a Great Aunt Grace that would make me her version of Beef Stew that was such an old fashioned comfort food and I_just_loved_it. She would start that morning and cut up the beef chuck roast into stew pieces and cook it for hours on a slow simmer. She would prepare the best buttered fordhook Lima beans and baked sweet potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil with a pat of butter inside each one. My oh My, I can still taste it today. I have such vivid memories of the times I would go to her apartment and have ‘fine’ dining ta boot. She lived to the beautiful age of 102! I miss our conversations…
She’s been gone for many years now, but I cooked this stew throughout Kyle’s childhood and it was a favorite of his growing up. Well… minus the buttered lima beans. There’s a couple of things I can not quite remember if she put into her stew, and I’ve experimented a bit with it. This is as close as I remembered it being. Simple flavors, but yet so comforting!
Here, I made this in a 4-5 quart pot and cooked it on the stove top. I have also dumped all ingredients into a 4 quart slow cooker, placed the lid and turned it to low for 6 plus hours. It’s one of those meals that you can leave in the slow cooker for hours on end and it only gets better!
Here’s how I make it.
Vegetable Beef Stew
It really doesn’t get any easier than this to make a great hearty Beef Stew! Now, my Great Aunt Grace always used a chuck beef roast. I find it to have more fat than I like to cook with, so I use a leaner sirloin cut of beef.
Lets get started! In a 4-5 quart pot fitted with a lid, add the beef stew meat, crushed tomatoes…
… Beef stock and stir well. Cover, bring to a boil over medium high heat. Then reduce heat to a low bubble and cook for one hour. Check half way for water lever and add a little if necessary.
It’s easy enough to keep beef stock from a box or can in your cupboards, but if you’re like me and prefer to keep Beef Base in your refrigerator for beef stock, I find it to have more flavor and richness. So, add 2 teaspoons of beef base to 2 cups of water in place of the boxed or canned stock.
Add a 16 ounce bag of frozen mixed vegetables and a medium size red potato cut into 1/2 inch cubes, (about 1 cup). Cover again, bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to a low boil and cook one more hour until the meat is tender.
I prefer to use red potatoes in this soup. It doesn’t break down like a russet potato and holds it’s shape better. If you’d like for your soup to be a little thicker, you can use a russet potato and allow it to break down and hence thicken the soup a bit.
I’m telling you… I know it sounds too easy to have any flavor, but it really is good Southern Comfort. You’ll get the flavors from a good cut of beef, the beef stock and tomatoes.
If you know me, you’d know I had a nice slice of buttered Southern Cornbread with this scrumptious Vegetable Beef Stew!
Looking for other soups or stews? Check these out!
Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Here’s the printer friendly recipe.
This Vegetable Beef Stew may sound too easy to have any flavor, but it really is good Southern Comfort at it's finest! You'll get the flavors from a good cut of beef, the beef stock and tomatoes. Plus it's full of wonderful vegetables which makes it hearty and healthy!
Ingredients
- 1 pound sirloin beef stew meat
- 1 - 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups beef stock (or 2 teaspoons beef base mixed with 2 cups water)
- 1 - 16 ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 medium red potato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes, about 1 cup
- water as needed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a 4-5 quart pot fitted with a lid, add the beef stew meat, crushed tomatoes, beef stock and stir well. Cover, bring to a boil over medium high heat. Then reduce heat to a low bubble and cook for one hour. Check half way for water lever and add a little if necessary.
- Add a 16 ounce bag of frozen vegetables and diced red potato. Cover again, bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to a low boil and cook one more hour until the meat is tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Want to make this in a slow cooker and let it cook all day? See super instructions in the notes section!
Notes
For slow cooker style: Add all ingredients into a 4 quart slow cooker, place the lid and turned it to low for 6 plus hours. It's one of those meals that you can leave in the slow cooker for hours on end and it only gets better!
It's easy enough to keep beef stock from a box or can in your cupboards, but if you're like me and prefer to keep Beef Base in your refrigerator for beef stock, I find it to have more flavor and richness. So, add 2 teaspoons of beef base to 2 cups of water in place of the boxed or canned stock.
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